I came across this article today, and was intrigued. As I read, it occurred to me that this is the recipe for success in life as well as business.
The article "Respect and Success: A Synergistic Connection" by Technology Aloha posits that cultivating respect is a fundamental recipe for achieving success in both personal and professional spheres. Drawing from "5 Ways to Get More Respect at Work" on Entrepreneur.com, the article highlights five key principles: defining values, discovering passion, knowing purpose, envisioning the future, and genuinely engaging with others. These principles emphasize that self-awareness and an outward focus on others are crucial for building respectful relationships and ultimately realizing success.
Think about the people you’ve come across in your life that you admire, respect, wish to emulate… Chances are that if you measure them against these five “rules of respect” they’ll fair quite well.
“Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.” — Clint Eastwood
Take a moment to conjure up what work would be like if your colleagues, bosses, subordinates and clients treated you more respectfully. Do you envision more money? Do you envision more fulfilling relationships with these individuals?
1. Define your values.
People follow strength and competency. Think about what makes you a better, stronger person. Write down those aspects you would like to move towards and a few things you would like to move away from. Simply listing these items can provide tremendous momentum toward or away from each value.
2. Discover your passion.
It helps a great deal to get where you want to be if the you have passion for the actual journey it takes to reach your end goal. Passionate employees tend to deepen their involvement around the office and, thus gain a significant amount of respect and friendship from others.
3. Know your purpose.
Corporate America is a tough place. It will lead you through twists, turns and disappointments. If your purpose is, say, to service your clients better than any other firm, then keep your eye on the ball. The resiliency and positive attitude will quickly be realized by those around you.
4. Envision what the future is going to be like.
Start to take some time and envision what it is going to be like when you do hit the pinnacle of getting more respect, friendship and success around the office. Practice makes perfect. To best achieve this, take a few deep breaths, get the negative thoughts out of your mind and begin to make it a mental reality.
5. Stop monologuing and start taking interest.
You ever notice that when you look at a picture with multiple people in it, you always look at yourself first? Human beings inside the office, outside the office – wherever are highly self-involved. They are flattered and respond better to you as a leader and an individual when you stop focusing on yourself and begin to take a genuine interest in them.
Source: 5 Ways to Get More Respect at Work | Entrepreneur.com
